Caps (14-5-2, 30 points) at Devils (5-13-2, 12 points)
What » Game #22
Where » Prudential Center
When » Tonight, 7 p.m.
TV » CSN HD
Radio » WFED-1500 AM
The last time the Caps played a team struggling just to win a home game – any home game – it ended up on the losing end in overtime at Buffalo. Tonight they visit Prudential Center in Newark to play the New Jersey Devils, who are 1-5-2 at The Rock and haven’t been much better on the road. They are 5-13-2 overall with 12 points and the second-worst record in the league. Only the woeful New York Islanders are worse (11 points).
Injuries have played a role, of course. Star goalie Martin Brodeur is fighting a lingering – and painful – right elbow bruise and is out at least 10 days. Forward Zach Parise – one of the heroes for the United States’ silver-medal team in Vancouver last winter – had surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee and is likely out until February.
Meanwhile, team captain Jamie Langenbrunner has missed the past four games with a sore neck. New Jersey has lost three in a row and been outscored 9-3 during that stretch. It also has yet to win consecutive games this season. Other than that things are going great.
Mike Knuble didn’t make the trip after taking a puck to the face from teammate Eric Fehr during Friday’s game in Atlanta. Defenseman Tom Poti did travel to Newark and took part in the morning skate. It would still be a surprise to see him out there tonight. He just started skating again last week after taking time off to heal a lower-body injury.
Michal Neuvirth will start in goal for the Caps with rookie Braden Holtby getting a game later this week, hoping to bounce back from a rough outing against Atlanta. Semyon Varlamov looked fine in two games at AHL Hershey this past weekend. Bruce Boudreau said Varlamov (groin) is healthy and that his time in Hershey is just about shaking off the rust now. So some light at the end of the tunnel there. Johan Hedberg – yes, he’s still kicking around 10 years after punking the Caps in a first-round playoff series with the Penguins – is the man in goal for New Jersey tonight.
Washington ranks fourth in the NHL with 3.50 goals per game. The Devils? At 1.80 they’re the only team in the league out of 30 that doesn’t even average 2 per game. Special teams: Caps are fifth on the power play (23.7%); Devils are 29th (10.2%). Washington’s penalty kill (84.6%) is ninth overall while New Jersey is 19th (80.8%). See a theme emerging? Check back later this afternoon for another pre-game post.
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